The Rules
by Blondesquirrel
Summary: Paige's mother taught her some rules for life, including: never talk to strangers, never drink from an unmarked bottle and never – under any circumstances – fall for the bad guy. The only problem she had was keeping them.
1. Rule 1: Don't talk to strangers

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Rule 1:**

**Don't Talk to Strangers**

"Oooooh baby!"

The wolf whistle wasn't loud but it stood out clearly against the background din. The small bar was crowded with Santa Carla's finest; finest bikers, punks, runaways and miscreants that is. But the sound of cheering, swearing, conversation and bottles clinking wasn't enough to drown out the wolf whistle. Paige wished it had. She'd had had enough of male bullshit for one day, however she shrugged it off with narrowed eyes and continued filling the pint glass with Stella from the tap. She turned; beer in hand, when the phantom wolf-whistler struck again.

"I'm ordering a plate of you, babe!"

She spun around angrily, throwing the beer towards the overweight (and slightly startled) biker who had ordered it.

"Has that EVER worked for you?" Her voice was a blizzard, her eyes pinning the offender back like a butterfly in a frame. The man was struck dumb, a slightly stunned look on his face – his friends meanwhile where whooping and laughing at there friends mistake.

"She got you there man!" One jibed, elbowing him in the ribs.

Paige sighed at the group, wiping her hands on her apron she appraised the clock, 10.30pm, time for her cut off work and run too her next job. It was a Thursday so she had to open for the bar and then go and close at the stall, unlike most of the rest of the week when it was the other way round. Giving the quartet one last glare she ducked through to the back of the bar leaving her co-worker to take they're order.

She wouldn't have been so venomous with the flirt back there but she had had one of the shittest days in the history of ever. She was late paying her rent again, for the last time her landlord insisted, one more strike and she was out. Her closet/apartment may be cramped, dingy and with enough damp to kill a small horse but it was her home, and damn it she needed that place! The bar wasn't doing as well as it seemed, repairs and a bad crowd were taking there toll on the profits and Mr Edmonds was hinting about laying staff off. And above it all her skeazy, man-whore of an ex-boyfriend, Callum, had showed up that very afternoon drunk out of his tiny mind and begging her for a second chance. When she had refused him again he'd started crawling on the floor and crying. And to add insult to injury on the way to the bar she'd been hassled by a variety of scumbags. She shuddered at the memories.

* * *

Weaving through the crowds on the boardwalk with a practiced ease, she approached her destination, a medium sized stall under a tarp on the main thoroughfare, she called a greeting to Karl; her co-worker and friend. He glanced up from his work and grinned. She smiled back and threw her small bag in the space underneath the brightly coloured displays. Straightening up she snapped her change bag around her waist and tied her long hair back. She peered into the mirror they supplied for there customers and gave into the cliché. With her wavy pale-blonde hair, the ends dipped in pink, heavy eye make-up and multiple earrings she fitted the bill for 'female stall tattooist' perfectly.

"You okay Pai-day?" Karl pulled his plastic gloves off and threw them in the bin underneath the implement trolley.

"Rough day" She sighed, adjusting the flash cards, hundreds of brightly coloured designs shining underneath fairground lights.

He nodded sympathetically, knowing when she'd rather not talk about it. Paige smiled brightly, shrugging off her dark cloud and inquired after the health of his heavily pregnant wife. After a few minutes of idle chatter Karl went off to grab some coffees for the pair and she turned back to sterilizing the equipment and checking ink levels.

"Hey, how much for one?" A voice asked from behind her, not looking up from the tray she replied.

"Depends on the size"

"Massive, babe!"

She groaned and turned to look at the guy from earlier, devoid of his friends this time.

"What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

She was about to tear into him when he gestured to the large neon-orange card that said '_WORLD'S GREATEST TATTOOS_'. She coloured slightly and pointed to the chair.

"Be honest you were hoping to see me again weren't you?" The cocky blonde said casually sprawling in the chair with an effortless elegance. She took a second to evaluate him; he was tall, 6"1 at least, with a lion's mane of golden hair and far-too-tight grey trousers. He looked like a cross between a biker and new romantic, with something wickedly dangerous in his eyes.

"Of course" she replied simply, sliding her hands into a pair of disposable gloves "Really?" He asked shocked at the response, his deep grey-blue eyes widening

"Mmhmm" She smiled sweetly at him "I was just hoping you'd show up so _you_ could pay _me_ to stab you with needles"

"Funny."

She grinned at him and sat down in the chair next to him, grabbing the handheld tattoo machine and adjusting it.

"So what do you want then?" "I was thinking of 'AC/DC RULES' in epic letters across my chest"

Paige pulled a face; too many drunken chumps had come through here getting various band names branded onto them forever. For some reason she thought Goldilocks here, had better taste in ink.

"Seriously?"

"Nah! I'm messing with you! I was thinking of some kinda small symbol on the back of my wrist. Something… cool, y'know?"

She grabbed a folder from underneath his seat and handed it to him, it was filled with tattoo designs of varying shape and size.

"Why are these ones scribbled out?" He asked pointing to a few designs that had been blacked out with magic marker.

"Once someone gets one of these inked we cross 'em out so they can't be tattooed again"

"Awesome! A one of a kind piece! Who draws all these?"

She shrugged, staring fixedly at the designs with a studied nonchalance.

"I do"

"Axel Rose on a bicycle, you're good!" He said earnestly, she felt her face flush at his honest compliment but shrugged it off.

"Thanks. Anyway! Which one d'ya want?"

"What do you think I should get?"

She looked at him, was this guy joking? He was going to let her pick his tattoo? She took the book from him and started flicking through the designs. Pausing over a few choices she finally settled on one.

"I think this one suits you, Goldilocks."

She lifted the book for him to see. Displayed was a small image of a sun with sharpened rays coming off it, the sun it self was gold but the rays faded into crimson points, the lowest one dripping a single drop of red. He started laughing his head off at the image. She was starting to feel vaguely offended by the time he'd stopped, dashing the tears of laughter out of his eyes.

"What was that all about?" she huffed

"Nothing! It's just so perfect, is all! Go on babe, stick it right there" He held out his arm, palm down.

"That's 30, okay?"

"Sure, sure!"

Everything set she cleaned the area of skin and started work on the design.

"So is this your first ink then?"

"Nahhhh, I got some stuff before"

"Oh yeah? What?"

"I got a band of barbed wire around my forearm and a…" He grinned down at her wickedly "You know what? If you're curious about the rest you're just going to have to find them for yourself"

"Your full of it Goldi'" She smirked, despite his constant need for flirtation he came across like an alright guy, seemingly genuinely impressed by her work.

"Paul"

"Huh?"

"My name, it's Paul. Though Goldilocks is cute! I think it's sweet that you have a pet name for me already babe!"

"Call me babe one more time and you're getting something else tattooed on your arm"

She smiled despite the threat, wiped the area with a damp cloth and changed colours

"Ouch, point taken. Don't piss off the tattooist!"

They spoke for a while; it was only as she was finishing up that they were disturbed. With hollers and cheers the guys he was with earlier had turned up.

"Looking good mate"

The shortest member of the group wolf-whistled Paul this time, Paige smiled to herself as she did the final colour patch and wiped it clean. Putting the machine away she started to rummage for sterilized dressings

"A bleeding sun, Paul. Interesting choice" The blondest member of the group spoke, his arms folded. His voice was cool and made her think of pitch black nights and the north wind.

Paul just nodded with a smirk and let the tattoo artist put a bandage over the sun. She handed him a leaflet

"Care instructions"

"Don't worry babe, I'll take good care of it!"

"Again with the babe!"

"Well then tell me your name" his voice was suddenly different, it was like silk on her skin and she opened her mouth to answer him without thinking. The boys were smirking. She quickly shut her mouth and turned away, shaking her self mentally - under the pretence of putting the bandages away.

"That'll be thirty dollars please"

Paul handed her the money with a decidedly immoral smile. Putting it into her change pouch she watched him turn to leave with his friends. They were all dressed in the same biker chic but each had a slightly different look. The tall stoic brunette she hadn't heard speak was shirtless in a faded brocade jacket and heavy junk-style necklace, the constantly laughing short one with the curly blonde hair had more patches on his jacket then anyone rightly deserved and the platinum blonde with the wintery voice was wearing a more tailored long black jacket and leather gloves. Apart from the clothes the only similar thing about them all was the eyes, the various shades all held the same rebellious look that promised danger.

"Buh-Bye Babe"

Paul teased as they backed off. Paige called out to them in a sing-song voice

"Hey Goldilocks! The name's Paige!"

He bowed to her as the others broke into howls of laughter, as they retreated towards a row of motorbikes she turned to wait for her next customer. She was sure this wasn't the last she'd seen of the boys – and for some reason the thought of seeing Paul again didn't bother her as much as it should have done.

* * *

"So" Patches turned to Platinum with a toothy grin "Do we get to dine on the delicious Paige tonight then? David?"

Platinum, sorry David, looked thoughtfully at Paul before he spoke "Now Now Marko, The girl seems interesting. Remember she didn't fall for Paul's thrall or…" he smirked "His pick up lines. Let's refrain from lunching on Paul's new squeeze just yet."

"You guys. She's not my anything"

"Yet I doubt you'd like it if we made her lunch, right?"

Paul rubbed his neck sheepishly "She just seemed fun is all. And let's not forget smokin'!"

"Whatever you say Paul, Looks like we'll be getting beach take-out tonight Marko."

Marko grumbled half-heartedly as he kicked his bike into gear. They zoomed out of the parking lot.


	2. Rule 2: Don't fall for the bad guy

Filler chapter – focus on character development/relationship development

**Rule 2:**

**Don't Fall for the Bad Guy**

It was night again, a few small clouds scudding over the full moon. Sunday was generally considered a day of rest and respite but on the Santa Carla Boardwalk everything continued as normal, music played, roller coasters rolled and people flooded the sea-front. The only thing that estranged Sunday from the rest of the week was that it was Paige's night off. As such she was the one peering at the stalls and being served the drinks.

The air was balmy and smelled of cotton-candy and summer. Paige swung her sandals as she walked, savouring the feeling of the warm sand against her feet. The scarf tied through the loops in her tattered denim shorts was so long as to brush the floor with each step but she didn't notice, too enraptured with her surroundings. It was days like this that reminded her of why she'd moved to Santa Carla in the first place.

She'd always gotten along well with her parents; they loved her and treated her with every kindness. She'd even gotten along with her annoying older brother, although he'd teased her something rotten when she'd gotten braces and her first boyfriend. It was simply that she didn't feel like she fitted in there, with their quiet suburban life and white picket fence. She'd always hungered for the company of others – more daring individuals. But back there the jock's keg parties ended at midnight and the rebellious boys' leather jackets had department store labels. She craved excitement, bright lights and bustling streets.

She lost herself in the crowd of people, feeding off their excitement like a vampire. She found herself on the outskirts of the concert area, a local band was playing some fast paced psychobilly music and she couldn't help but to dance to the beat. Twirling around she laughed with the sheer pleasure of it all.

"Having fun there?"

She whirled around

"Goldilocks!"

Without giving him a chance to protest she grabbed his hands and spun him into the dance. They twirled with a mixture of gracefulness and manic energy, the crowd parting as they executed some more daring moves, dipping and spinning until Paige was quite dizzy.

"Well, she's as hyper as he is" Dwayne surprised the group by speaking first. The quietest group member made a good point.

"She's totally snackable"

"Marko."

They stood beside the bike rack, the picture of nonchalance. A light breeze ruffled their hair artistically.

"I know I know! Friends before food!"

"Shame about Paul's two left feet though"

"Oi! Are you guys talking about me again?" The pack looked over as the song ended and Paul wove through the crowd towards them dragging a bemused looking Paige behind him "What can I say" he grinned at her "They can't get enough of me!"

"What can we say?" Marko laughed, despite considering munching on her three minutes previously he had no qualms about now befriending the girl "He's infectious"

"More like terminal" she muttered sardonically to the laughs and cackles of the rest of the group

"You remember the _charming_ Paige?" Paul asked, sticking his tongue at her for the derisive comment

"How could we forget? She's the only girl to have beaten you at your own game!" David smiled mockingly at Paul and held a hand out to Paige who shook it diligently.

"I just invited her over to the Fish Tank for beers! You guys in?"

"Of course" David replied smoothly, leading the group over to their motorcycles. They all jumped onto their respective rides and Paul offered his hand to help Paige up

"Hold on tight now, babe" he spoke quietly into her ear "We wouldn't want you to get scared and fall off"

She smiled at him sweetly, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his waist "I'll try not to, _babe_"

As the kicked the engines into gear and tore out of the parking lot Paul was waiting with baited breath for the inevitable squeal and clinging that accompanied any female on the back of a motorbike. He was waiting in vain.

Her arms wrapped lightly but firmly around him she tilted her head back and enjoyed the rush of wind through her hair. 15 minutes later she gracefully descended from the backseat still euphoric from the ride. She ran a hand through her wild hair and gave Paul a Cheshire-Cat smile at his speechless look.

"You've ridden before?"

"I miss my Triumph every day"

She really did, she had to sell it a few months ago to pay the rent. It sucked but it was the only thing of any worth she had left and she didn't have much of her paycheque left after bailing Callum out for the third time. It was worth it to be rid of that jerk, she was still sore she'd wasted so much time on that sloshed idiot. She thought he was cool and rebellious when they'd first met but it got clearer and clearer that he was a filthy liar, friend only to the pig and the rat.

Following David down the steps to the bar Paige stopped reminiscing on the past. She was in a cool underground bar with four incredibly hot men who gave off all the chaos vibes she'd ever wanted.

She squeezed into a corner booth next to Paul as David went to get the drinks. Marko and Dwayne sat across from them, when David returned with the beers he grabbed a chair. Straddling the back of it he folded his hands on its rest.

"So Paige" He broke into the low level conversation "Tell us about your self" It wasn't a question so much as a command and again Paige felt the same compulsion she had had with Paul on the Boardwalk, but whereas she had avoided it before she felt her tongue spilling words she hadn't intended to let out. She managed to rein it in to the bare minimum of information.

"What's they're to tell?" She laughed "I'm the average American teenager. I dropped out of high school, moved away from home, and work two jobs to pay the rent… average crazy kid stuff."

"You're accent doesn't sound typical Americano" Marko pointed out, swigging from his bottle. She felt her cheeks grow warm; no-one generally noticed that.

"That's because my mother was English, she moved here when she met my father. Anyway! Tell me about you guys? How did you all meet?"

David gave a knowing smile as Paul stage-yawned and ever-so-sneakily slid his arm behind Paige. She gave him a look that said '_God, you're sly_' but didn't move away.

"We go waaaay back. I was introduced to David and Dwayne by a mutual friend, they like grew up together or something, they picked Marko up like the beach bum he was and then I met the freaks at a concert awhile back."

"They picked me up on the Boardwalk my first night here! I felt like such a loner and then boom – cool biker friends!"

She nodded thoughtfully and sipped her beer.

"So are you guys in, like, a gang or something?"

They all laughed but David was the one to answer this time

"I guess you could call it 'like, a gang or something'. We prefer to think of it as a pack, a family if you will."

"And you're the big boss guy?"

"Not exactly" He smiled condescendingly at the mortal and changed the subject.

They talked for hours. Every conversation topic was touched upon, deemed interesting enough or not and then dissected. Both parties discovered a lot about the other. Paige discovered the boys were a diverse and intelligent group who were into chaotic fun in a big way, they all differed in music and movie tastes. Dwayne was a big reader, Marko loved to paint, David was great with technology and Paul could play the piano. They boys learnt Paige was an interesting and free thinking girl, unafraid to voice her opinions. They learnt she was an ex-mechanic who could sew and raced bikes. She loved roller coasters and revelled in disorder and pranks.

When the bar shut at four am the boys had almost entirely lost the desire to munch on her ('almost' because they were still creatures of habit after all). On the ride home Paige clung tighter to Paul then was absolutely necessary, she was however slightly drunk; and - she reasoned to herself – it was quite cold riding through the night air and he was quite warm. When they dropped her off at her apartment it was already set that she would meet them after work on Tuesday for a tour of the best bars Santa Carla had to offer.

Over the following weeks she saw more and more of the boys. Sometimes they'd all show up after work to drag her to some new cool hangout or club, sometimes it was only Paul and they'd go to a concert or ride the roller coasters, sometimes it would only be one or two of the others to take her to wherever the rest of the boys had run off to. She went to an art gallery with an excitable Marko and fake-bored Paul to see a 'new range of exciting art involving skulls and silly string', she borrowed Dwayne's copy of Dracula and discussed it's metaphors at length, David taught her how to charm her way into – or out of – anything and how to pick locks and Marko taught her the correct way to sew patches onto her jacket.

The boys were perfect gentlemen, treating her with the affection and teasing of older brothers. That is except from Paul, there was nothing brotherly in his eyes, they're relationship was slow at first - hugs, casual contact and constant flirting. It was one night a few weeks later that this changed.

He had picked her up to go see a '_totally goregasmic new horror flick_' and she was watching it diligently; trying not to be squicked by the directors more-the-merrier attitude to internal organs. However she had to squeak at one particular face-melting-acid moment and hid her face in is shoulder. He laughed quietly in her ear but wrapped his arm tighter around her. Her heart sped up until she thought it might explode. The film ended eventually and they walked out, his arm still draped casually over her shoulder discussing its pros and cons.

"The plot was okay but there was far too much gore for my tastes"

"Ah! C'mon! The bit with the acid was excellent! And when that heart started to beat its way across the floor" He grinned down at her

"Okay the heart bit was cool, but the face?" She shuddered "Ick! Plus that whole romance thing was way out! What they meet, kill a zombie and get married?"

"Haha! You're just jealous of that chick who got to make-out with Micheal Matherson"

"I am not, he's gruesome! Anyway that bit at the end? That is _not _how people kiss!"

"Oh really now?"

She was suddenly aware of how close they were standing. The cool breeze ruffling their hair, they'd come to a stop outside the cinema where Paul's bike was parked. She nodded

"Mmhmm, it's totally unrealistic."

"So how should a hero kiss?"

He leant closer to her, she leant upwards, the height difference getting smaller as they neared each other. One more breath, she thought, and we'd be touching. Before her brain could register the fact, they were kissing. She laughed mentally; this was not 'kissing'. Kissing was something frat boys did with their girlfriends, something housewives got from there husbands. This was pure hedonistic bliss. It was the ocean on fire, hotter than hell and twice as sinful. When they broke apart he gave her his famous grin

"They kiss like that, huh?"

She shook her head trying to remember how to speak

"That was far to dastardly for a hero to ever do, the good guys don't kiss like that at all"

He pouted and turned away "Guess y'wouldn't want to do that again then, consider me told…"

She grabbed his jacket and spun him back to her, pressing herself against him "I happen to like the bad guys, thank you"

When they pulled up outside her apartment that night, she had no qualms about inviting him in.


	3. Rule 3: Don't hang out with older boys

Paige was crying. She hadn't cried in over three years now, and she hated herself for it now.

The nights had gotten colder, it would still be considered pleasant by anywhere else's standards but the west coast felt the chill. Trees bowed overhead and a bird of prey circled over head obscuring the full moon. Paige sat on the shore further away from the boardwalk than normal. The sand underneath her feet no longer felt comforting but grainy and harsh. The sea air stung her face and the wind played havoc with her hair.

Her landlord had given her the eviction notice that morning; she had to be out by the weekend - he had a family member that needed the apartment and was '_more punctual_' and '_trustworthy_' than she was. She wanted to spit. The reason she was late with her rent was that Gary, her boss at the bar, had laid her off after two years of hard work and hardly a single sick day or holiday. So she cried. Quiet, angry sobs that sounded like bitter laughter. She hadn't seen the boys all week either. They apparently had some business that needed attending to out of state.

The wind laughed and the distant sound of traffic mingled with the whoosh of the waves on the beach. She closed her red eyes and listened to the air trying to calm her self. She wasn't very good at crying, it had never really been her thing.

"Paige! Babe! There you are! I've been looking every…." The excited shout from behind her trailed off. She heard someone approach, felt them stand next to her and then the sand shifted as they fell down to slouch beside her. Without a word a familiar arm was slung around her. It was too much, too soon and she felt the tears start to fall again. She turned her face away from him, not wanting him to see the tears.

"What's wrong?"

It took a few moments for her voice to return to her "Everything" She dashed the tears from her eyes angrily "I lost my job, my home, everything!"

"Paige" He pulled her close to his chest and this time she let him, losing herself comforting warmth of his arms. She wrapped her fingers through the holes in his fishnet shirt and let the frustrated sobs wrack her body. When she had no more tears left to cry she drew away from him so she could see his face, she smiled.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to spack out on you like that. Jeez you must think I'm weak. I swear I don't normally do the whole sissy crying thing"

"Anytime babe" He grinned and kissed her "And just for the record you're the strongest person I've met in decades, you have no idea how bad your ass is."

She smiled back, with his arms around her she felt calmer and more rational than she had in days. She plucked idly at the elastic bands around his wrists.

"Ha! If my ass is so bad why am I still sitting here moping? I should get up, find another job and some place to stay."

"Um… If you wanted, that is if you didn't have any prior arrangements or anything, maybe you might like to perhaps come and stay with me and the guys?"

"Seriously" She looked up; he was decidedly nervous with a fervent, hopeful look in his eyes.

"Yup, that is, if you want to?"

"Shouldn't you ask David and the boys?" She'd never actually been to the boys' hideout but Marko was always raving about how super-cool and secluded it was.

"They're cool with it! They were just saying the other day how it awesome it would be for you to join the gang properly."

She thought about, mulling the idea over in her head. She liked the guys a lot; they were funny, smart, interesting and above all treated her as an equal and not just another damsel in distress. But being part of an honest to god gang? Riding motorcycles and causing havoc with the public? She'd already hung out with them a lot, she reasoned, she'd even helped with some of the havoc-causing pranks. She had to face it, she was already part of the group, and she loved it. Add that to her new confusing feelings for Paul – now she'd met him she couldn't imagine life without him and his crazy ideas and hyper mood swings.

"Sure, I'd love that" her mind made up to be spontaneous for once; she smiled reassuringly at him and allowed him to help her to her feet.

"Awesome! Shall we go tell the guys the good news then?"

"Let's!" The almost skipped off the beach, hand in hand to where Paul had (very illegally) parked on the sidewalk.

The engine roared into life and they sped off into the darkness to share the love.

"Gee, those are some hardcore steps right there" They'd reached the cliff edge, the warning signs invisible in the dark, the moon clouded over. Leading down to what Paul had assured her was the coolest home ever, were about a hundred wooden steps. "Are they safe?"

"Sure are babe" He smiled wickedly in the half light "Except the third step down, that can be a little dodgy sometimes" Reading the worry etched onto her face he calmed her in the best way he knew how "I can always carry you if you want?"

"Dream on, sparky!" She stuck her tongue out at him and sashayed calmly down the stairs, being careful to avoid the third step.

As she go closer and closer the bottom she heard the sound of rock music and Marko screaming "She's here! She's here"

"Who's 'she' Marko, the cat's mother?"

"'Sup girl!" She was hurtled at and dragged into a cavernous… cave. It looked like some kind of old mansion taken over by rockers and stuffed into the ground. She looked around wide eyed; there was a large fountain in the middle of the room surrounded by burning tin drums and candelabras. The walls were covered in posters of rock stars, several couches and chairs lay about the room in no apparent fashion along with an unnumbered amount of other random bits of furniture including several chest of drawers and statues. Stars and plastic skeletons hung from the walls and curtained passages lead off to other parts of the cave/house.

"Do you like it?" Marko asked earnestly; Paul laughed from where he stood at the cave's entrance, arms folded, back against the wall. David inclined his head to Paige in greeting; Dwayne raised a hand in a small salute and smiled. No one seeming surprised to see her there.

"It's… wow" Unable to find the words to describe the derelict beauty of the place she settled for gawking at it.

"This was the hottest hotel in the Santa Carla about 85 years ago. But they made the fault of building it on the fault. When the big one hit in 1906 this place got swallowed." David cut in smoothly, answering all her unasked questions "Now it's our home"

By this point she had been escorted to one of the numerous comfortable-looking sofas scattered around the crowded room, she sat next to Dwayne who looked up from his magazine to smile at her. Paul was walking around the rim of the fountain, bobbing his head in time to the music and occasionally looking over and grinning at her. This picture of domestic bliss was, however, cut into when David clapped his gloved hands smartly.

"Paul, show the lady around, where are you're manners?"

"Sorry boss!" Paul hopped off the fountain, gave the okay sign and helped her up "Follow me, babe!"

"This here is the kitchen – note chips, dips, snackerals, microwavable goods, Marko's Twinkies – hands off, Dwayne's Oreo's – don't ask, David's English Lager - ponce and my Count Chocula – no one else is allowed to touch it…. but you can!"

"Boy do I feel special" she looked around the tiny room piled full of junk food and paper plates.

"Shut it smartarse or I'm keeping the Count Chocula to myself" He mock-glared at her, she smiled back winningly and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him quickly

"I'm sorry Goldilocks! I'm honoured to be allowed your cereal"

"Better" He beamed and showed her the next room

"Palatial bathroom – 1800 style. We got us hot and cold water, stolen from the pipes of an obliging (and oblivious) hotel." The bathroom was a fair size with a claw-footed tub in the centre and the rest of the obvious facilities – but lacking, she noticed, any mirrors. She wondered vaguely how they did their hair without one but then again, glancing over at Paul, it rather explained it. The floor and sides were covered in melted candles of various sizes and shapes, half of which were still lit. Stacks of books were piled in the corners of the room and ashtrays were balanced here and there next to a family-sized bottle of Bubbles. She laughed out loud at the large Barbie-pink bottle and pointed it out to Paul.

"Guess who's they are."

"Umm… I'm instinctively thinking you or Marko but that's too obvious. I doubt David is the bubble type and judging by the books I'm guessing Dwayne spends the most time in here. So yeah, Dwayne."

"Wrong! The even larger bottle of relaxing, herbal bubbles hidden underneath the books behind the bath are Dwayne's, those are mine. A Christmas gift from the guys" He smiled smugly

"I think they're trying to tell you something"

He growled at her, a wicked look in his eyes; she shrieked, laughing and running out of the bathroom down the hallway. He caught up with her after a few minutes and scooped her up easily, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She yelled between giggles.

"No way babe! If you're not gonna play nice I'm going to have to carry you to the next room"

"And what would that room be?"

"Guess"

That night, or day rather, she slept better than she had in years. She awoke at sunset and wondered vaguely about her ability to sleep right through the day. She sat up quickly as she realised she wasn't, as she believed, in her apartment but in an ex-hotel cave. She quickly remembered the events of yesterday and calmed down; her sudden movement however had caused the passed-out Paul next to her to roll over and swear quietly in his sleep.

"Charming" she muttered sardonically, slipping out of the king-sized bed she padded barefoot across a floor covered in a variety of different rugs and cushions, dodging ash trays and strewn clothes to a chair next to his dresser. She rummaged through his clothes, _so he does own something other than fishnet, _she thought to herself stealing one of his t-shirts, boxers and ripped jeans. The T-shirt was long but the jeans were ridiculous on her she discarded them for her skirt from yesterday. She tied her ruffled her back with one of his elastic bands and wished there was a mirror in here. A slow wolf-whistle from the bed caused her to jump and turn.

"Looking good Paigey, Seriously that shirt looks hot on me but on you…" he whistled again and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Tease all you want hun, I'm going to get to the kitchen before you and eat all your cereal!"

She raced out of the room, pursued by a cheerfully swearing Paul who only stopped to grab some jeans. That was all the delay she needed she had reached the entrance of the kitchen by the time he'd caught up with her. He tackled her sending them sprawling, laughing onto the floor. A polite cough silenced them, they looked up guiltily at a smirking David, he stepped calmly over them into the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards. This caused them to then laugh harder, it wasn't until the whooping and cheering started behind them that they finally found they're feet. Standing, Paul took Paige's hand and they bowed elaborately at the crowing Marko and Dwayne. They then quite amiably had breakfast, the point of they're race forgotten.

Sitting around the fountain with bowls of cereal, passing a roll-up around and talking gleefully about the nights plans Paige felt happier than she had for longer than she could remember.

"You okay, luv?" Paul leant over and asked quietly in her ear, she nodded thoughtfully

"Yup, I think I'm gonna be"


	4. Rule 4: Don't let them see you're afraid

**Rule 4:**

**Don't show them your Afraid**

She'd stayed a week at the cave before her initiation night. David had said he thought it would be better to let her settle down and get accustomed to her new surroundings before she was fully brought into the gang. In that week she'd grown accustomed to the boys little oddities – they'd disappear sometimes together sometimes alone for hours at a time and then return pumped and hyper. Paige would be lying if she said she didn't suspect drugs, but she had a feeling that it ran deeper. She'd never seen the other boys' rooms or seen them during the day – they slept then, like the dead. But despite all that she felt more at home with them then anyone else she'd ever stayed with and that was enough for her.

"So Paige," David spoke his cool voice matching his composure, he sat on the largest chair – it was almost a throne and the candles hanging above his head made his platinum hair seem like a halo. "Tonight's the big night." She nodded – not sure whether she was meant to speak or not. "You should know Paige – once initiated you can never take back the changes you make now."

"I know."

"Well then," He smiled suddenly breaking the ominous atmosphere. The boys were sitting around the room, eyes fixed upon them. Dwayne calm, Paul nervous, Marko excited. "Lets begin" He snapped his finger "Marko! Food!"

Marko nodded and hurried into the kitchen to get the take-out he'd purchased earlier on David's command. It was a familiar part of the ritual – testing the applicant's mental strength and ability to believe the unbelievable. David held out two of the boxes cheerfully to Paige as Marko distributed the rest to the boys. "Noodles or Rice?"

"Rice, thanks." She took the box as David started eating the noodles carelessly.

"Good, huh?"

Paige examined the box carefully, this was a test. Her willingness to trust what the boys gave her maybe? It was all just mind games. She breathed in deeply, took the chopsticks and began to eat it.

"How are those Maggots, Paige?"

She blinked and in that millisecond the rice in her box had become maggots, twisting white grubs nestling in the packet. She started a little, the blood draining from her face but she kept her cool.

"Egg Fried apparently, David"

He smirked, pleased with Paul's choice – he'd defiantly latched on to a good one this time. Paul had never been one for flings and the few he'd had ended badly. Marko had had more than his fair share of the ladies, Dwayne had gotten a few and David had had his own share of disasters. None of the girls had ever been strong enough to deal with the reality of what they were. Most of them never made it past initiation night, or if they did starved before they turned fully. He beckoned Paul over and whispered to him to fetch the bottle. He did so diligently returning with a heavy silver casket – battered from age but encrusted with jewels.

"Do you like wine, Paige?" He gestured to the bottle before popping the lid off and taking a long swig, he passed it to Dwayne who took a smaller sip, Marko gulped it down and Paul drained a small amount before holding it out to her. Their eyes never left her face – it was starting to unnerve her.

"I'm more of a cider girl, David, but when in Rome…" She accepted the wine, the only betrayal of fear in her eyes as they flickered from one face to the next. She finally, after what felt like a lifetime but was in reality only a few seconds, closed her eyes and drank deeply from the bottle. It was better than anything she'd ever tasted; it was cold and warm at the same time and tasted like spice and copper. Lowering the bottle to cheers from the gang she licked the remnants of the wine from her lips and handed it back to Paul.

Despite the intense taste she didn't feel any different; she was a little shocked – expecting at least some kind of mind-addling hallucinogen, but at the same time relieved it wasn't. That was probably what was in the rice.

"Dare I ask what's next?"

"That's all Paige, for now."

And with that the tenseness in the room shattered like glass.

* * *

It was a few days before Paige started to notice anything out of the ordinary, she was now constantly thirsty, constantly hungry but nothing she ate or drank helped. She broke a chair demonstrating her orange-belt front kick to Paul. She felt strong but at the same time so weak she could hardly bear it. It wasn't until the third night after the ceremony that she really started to panic. She had awoken in the dark room she shared with Paul gone to stretch and realised she was in fact floating four feet above the bed. She screamed and fell with a thud – to silence from the blonde next to her. She shook him urgently fear flooding her voice

"Paul! Paul! I was freaking levitating! Did you see?"

He didn't move, paralysed in sleep.

When he awoke at sunset he found a trembling Paige curled up in a chair in the corner of the room. Her arms were latched around her knees and her face was hidden.

"Paigy? What's…" He moved towards her but a hand shot out to warn him off

"Don't come any closer" She could hear the blood coursing through him, pounding in her head. She raised her head from her knees and he saw her eyes had turned golden-red and filled with tears. "What am I?"

He went to her and pulling her to her feet and enveloping her in his arms. "You're one of us Paige"

"What are you?" he let her draw back from him enough to see his face; he'd shifted to his other side. Orange eyes, angled features and very prominent canines made her gasp.

"We're vampires" He whispered, she would have laughed if the evidence wasn't in front of her

"Am I…?"

He shook his head "You're only half-way there, there's one more step before you're transformation is complete. You'll live forever, never get sick, never grow old, never _die_" His words were silk on her skin, his fingers tracing paths of fire and ice down her arms. "But you must _feed – _or you'll starve." She could taste the blood in her mouth – felt it coursing through the veins of a man two miles away down the coast. She shuddered horrified with herself but so enticed. "You will be able to heal incredible amounts of damage but the sun, holy water, fire, decapitation and anything that would destroy your heart will kill you. Come with us now Paige, feed you're hunger, join us."

"I…" She yearned for it. Secretly she always had, to live forever as she was with Paul and her friends beside her – a real family. But to never see the sun again? To take the lives of others? Her head hurt "One day. Give me one day." She leant against Paul, his support the only thing keeping her on her feet from the hunger and shock. He was a monster her brain screamed, they all were, but she ignored it. They had shown her kindness when no one else had, offered her a place to stay when she had no where else to go, they never judged her for her weirdness's or laughed at her habits. With them she felt more alive than she ever had – and if it took death to feel that life… then maybe that's the price she had to pay.

David spoke from the doorway "One day, Paige. Then initiation's over."

She left before the sun rose that night. The voice in her head that called them monsters told her to run, to get as far away from them as possible and never look back. She had considered it. They were vampires after all but so, apparently, was she – at least nearly. She didn't see any of the boys before she left the only acknowledgement of what had transpired the night before was the note on the kitchen counter. On it was scrawled '_You might need these, x'_ next to it was a pair of sunglasses, the keys to Paul's bike and some cash. She smiled at their thoughtfulness, how could they be evil? She pocketed the items and headed out of the cave and into the light.

She watched the sun rise for the first time in her life; drinking in every detail of it, the colours, the light, and the way it played across the ocean. She basked in its rays although they stung her delicate eyes.

She called her parents, her brother, old friends, even her one remaining grandparent, the almost-deaf Grandma Margret in England. She told them that she loved them and that she was going away for a while. Paige visited Karl, his wife and new baby son for lunch. Thanked him for all his kindness to her and handed in her notice at the Tattoo stall. She spent the afternoon on the beach and boardwalk. When she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a store-front she noticed how transparent she looked, it was eerie. She bought a compact mirror and spent a while fixing her own image in her mind. Transparent or not it would be the last time she'd see herself. She wondered if vampires showed up in photos.

When sunset rolled around she'd had her fill of day, she took the sunglasses off and watched the sun go down. Every moment ingrained into her memory. She was sitting on the sand, legs stretched out in front, hands resting behind her – taking the weight. It was fifteen minutes before she heard them pull up. They moved silently over the sand but she knew they were there in the same way they knew where she was. She looked over as they sat beside her, she unconsciously leant her head on Paul's shoulder. David sat her other side watching the moonlight on the waves. Marko lay sprawled in front of them claiming to be 'moon bathing' with Dwayne sitting beside him, skimming pebbles off the waves.

"Are you ready?" David asked after time had passed, calm as always, seeming to know the answer.

She stood "Let's do this then"

She felt sick. And hungry.

She fed that night. They all did. She thought she'd feel guilty afterwards, she thought she might cry, but she didn't. The blood that ran through her veins now had changed her. She still felt like herself, she saw the good in humanity but she also saw the bad. She could tell now what kind of person someone was by the scent of their blood and, as they drained a gang of screaming Surf Nazi's, she felt no remorse. They were a means to an end. She knew she would kill ruthlessly now, for food and to protect her family; it was the only way to survive. The sacrifice for eternal life but one she'd make.

That first feed left her blood-drunk, she smiled at Paul who indulgently licked the blood she'd missed from the corner of her mouth. She captured his mouth with her own as the rest of the boys disposed of the corpses. Marko grumbled half-heartedly about having to do all the work but was ignored.

"Love you Paigey-babe"

"Love you too Goldilocks"


	5. Rule 5: Don't assume anything

**Rule 5:**

**Don't Assume Anything**

"So what did you think?"

"I think you should go back to sleep." Candle light flickered in the otherwise dark room, casting a golden glow over its occupants. Paige was attempting sleep under the cool white sheets but was being severely hampered by conversation.

"No seriously babe, what did you think? I wanna know!" Paul whined flicking the end of his roll-up away. He lay with his head propped up on his arm, his eyes flickering across the mass of ash-blonde and pink hair that was his girlfriend.

"I _seriously _think it's 8 pm, no decent creature of the night should be awake at this time." She half-turned her face to glare at the blonde vampire next to her with sleepy hazel eyes.

"Marko liked it." he grumbled tracing the outline of the ankh tattoo on her shoulder blade.

"Huh – when did that happen?" she raised her head fully, her fringe sticking up at odd angles. She flattened it angrily with one hand and looked at him inquisitively.

"Early 70's"

"Were you drunk?"

"No! Anyway it was David's decision that we do it…"

Her mouth fell open incredulously – she stared at him hard before something clicked. "Wait – What are we talking about here?"

"Turning into a vampire, dufus!"

She fell face-down into the pillow again with a groan "Oh thank God for that."

"What?"

She dismissed him blindly with a waved hand, fully preparing to go back to sleep

"MARKO, PAUL, PAIGE… WAKE UP YOU FILTHY ANIMALS! THE SUN'S BEEN DOWN FOR FORTY MINUTES!"

David's voice rang super-naturally loud through the cave, echoing off stone and wall.

"I told you you should wake up"

His response was a pillow in the face; his retaliating throw was, however, cut off.

"NOW PEOPLE!"

And so it came to be that the gang were sprawled sleepily in the lobby being given the night's itinerary by an irate David.

"So lets go over this again, we feed at 9 – clear-up and etcetera shouldn't take longer than an hour so we should be at the boss's for 10"

"You excited Paige?" Marko asked, sitting cross-legged in front of her applying her eye-makeup for her "You get to meet your new dad!"

"Of course! It's totally cool to meet, like, your creator"

"Don't laugh at the milk and cookies though" Dwayne put in thoughtfully, tripping Paul over during his impatient circuit of the fountain.

"Milk and…?"

"Nothing to worry about Paige, he's just a little eccentric." Paige nodded and jumped when Marko poked her in the eye with the liner.

"Ow! Marko watch what you're doing!"

"Hold still then, you're worse then Paul"

"I knew it! I knew you wore eyeliner!"

"It's not _eyeliner._" Paul called from where he'd fallen. "It's _guyliner_! Dwayne wears it too!"

"Yes but I pull it off, unlike you my mangy friend."

"So why did I have to wait a week before I met this boss guy then?"

"Well ya see Paigey-baby, you haven't grown into your full powers yet. You might have rejected the changes in the first week and off'd yourself"

"_Comforting._"

"Ignore him; I knew you'd pull through."

She shook off the discomforting notion of her own mortality – she was a vampire now, she shouldn't really have to worry about dying anymore. "What about this whole 'full power' thing then?"

"Well Paige" David answered this time "A vampire doesn't reach his or her potential until their body has fully changed. The vampire blood works like a cancer, killing off the host cells and replacing them with their own. This could take anywhere between a month and a year depending on the person"

"Marko took a year!"

"I was a late bloomer."

* * *

They raced towards the feeding ground that night trying to out do each other. Marko got an early lead but Dwayne quickly caught up. Paige unleashed the full potential of her bike and out-stripped the pair. She patted the iridescent purple paint lovingly, it was a Harley Davidson, an honest to god Harley Davidson, and it was hers! It had turned up one day beside the other bikes, when she'd asked David about it he had just smiled enigmatically and thrown her the keys. There was an Ankh painted on the back and the license plate read "babe", she suspected Paul's involvement. She roared towards the park spot, Marko and Paul jockeying for position behind her when out of the darkness David over-took her. His bike practically flew through the night spinning to a stop in one fluid motion.

"Show off." she muttered as she pulled in beside him in second place.

"Always." he returned with a smirk.

The others pulled up, Dwayne making it into third with Paul and Marko as forth and fifth respectively. They climbed the hill silently, ranging out into a line when the reached the top. David let up the cry and it ran like wildfire through the gang, Paige threw back her head and howled when it reached her. She felt her teeth lengthen into the scream and rejoiced in the fear of the scum she would wipe from this earth. They flew forward as a single entity, descending upon the Neo-Nazi teenagers and bringing delicious chaos with them.

The joint clean-up went smoothly afterwards, the flames swallowing the evidence like fine wine. That was apart from the incessant humming from Paul, 'Disco Inferno' was only funny the first ten times apparently.

"So where are meeting the boss man then?"

"He lives on Seabreeze Avenue"

"Seriously? He doesn't have a big castle or a mansion on the side of a mountain?" Paige asked shocked, the boys just looked at her. She could practically hear the tumbleweed rolling past. They cracked up, crying with laughter, Paul doubled up throwing an arm around her shoulders to keep himself on his feet.

"Aw babe! You need to stop watching so many movies!"

She shrugged, her cheeks colouring "How was I supposed to know!"

"Gentlemen, let's stop laughing at the fledgling and get on with this."

"Damn straight" she muttered as they retreated from the kill zone "Though what kind of vampire gang leader doesn't have a castle? What is the world coming to…?"

"Well Paige; welcome to the family!" They'd reached the small wooden house with time to spare. The path was lined with rainbow flowers, lit by a bright porch light and the mat on the front step read 'Welcome'. They'd been greeted at the door with open arms by a tall, middle age man with brown hair and spectacles dressed in a monochromatic jacket with an almost luminous shirt underneath. Max he'd said his name was. He spoke in the well intentioned yet firm voice reserved internationally for fathers, social workers and grade school teachers. Adjusting his oversized spectacles he smiled winningly at her. "So, how are my boys treating you? Well I hope" his eyes flickered to Paul "They best be. You've got a real gem here Paul, I don't want to see you mess that up."

Paul nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as they were ushered inside before being seated on matching chintzy loveseats "Yes sir"

"Good. Now then, can I offer you some refreshment? I have milk and cookies in the refrigerator; I'll just go fetch them."

He patted her knee absentmindedly and disappeared into a brightly lit kitchen. She stroked Thorn (Max's pale blonde dog) in a daze.

"Well" whispered Marko "What do you think?"

Paige, unused to the easy familiarity and fatherly concern, nodded wonderingly.

"He's so nice…"

"Creepy isn't it?"

"Marko." David spoke firmly and Marko had the good grace to look penitent.

"I guess, but it's so genuine. It's kind of sweet…" and it was. It was good to have someone to turn to when you were in over your head. Someone to question and confide in – removed from your daily faces, who still thought to offer you milk and cookies. He was an innocent, but one who could quite clearly rip out your enemies arms and beat them to death with them if they crossed you. Glancing around at her friends' faces as they politely took the proffered biscuits she knew that inside them all, behind the rebelliousness and fierce independence was the longing to be taken care of, to have someone to always fall back on in rain or shine. They were only teenagers after all.

For them that person was Max. There father. The one who'd found the lost boys, and now the lost girl it seemed too. It was nice.

"Now in case my boys haven't told you Paige, my children are expected to come and visit me every so often to check in with their lives, any problems, business that needs taking care of and so I can inform you of any errands I need running." He had a very calming presence and Paige was feeling more and more at home by the second, she nodded. "The boys here are not allowed in my video store unless they're on their best behaviour; which, as I'm sure you've noticed, they never are! But if you need to talk to me or just check in feel free to come on in and say hi!"

Another hour passed of tame conversation, David (as oldest son) explained the gang's recent activities and Paige's turning, Dwayne updated Max on a problem they'd been having with hot water, Marko spoke about there recent change in hunting ground – so as not to draw attention to themselves and Paul spent and excitable five minutes talking about the rock concert he'd snagged tickets to. It was an image of domestic bliss; that is if your idea of domestic bliss is five vampires immortally fresh out of high school being reprimanded for getting into fights on the boardwalk by their eternally middle-age leader. It was a strange relationship but it worked; the boys carefree lifestyle, Paige came to understand, was only really capable of existing through the guidance of Max. He made sure they didn't draw to much mortal attention to themselves, didn't upset the knife edge that Santa Carla balanced on too much.

They left the house at one and headed silently to a near by bar fully intending to drink and bar-fight they're way back into their real lives as biker-rebels and crazy teenagers. No mention of the cookies was made again. Or the milk.


	6. Rule 6: Looks can be deceiving

**Rule 6:**

**Appearances can be Deceiving**

Paige had heard much on the subject of a vampire's mythical powers from lore and legends, hell, she'd even experienced a few of them first hand herself; but one power that was never touched upon in the books was that of a vampire's enduring patience. Forever was a very long time indeed to spend with only a handful of permanent acquaintances. Despite this measures had to be taken to ensure that (when in close-quarters with each other for eternity) they don't end up killing each other. For Paige and the boys this meant alone time; a night, an hour or even a few days every now and then to just be a singular entity.

It was on one such lonesome day that Paige found herself wandering down the boardwalk shopping for new clothes. October had turned the nights colder (by west coast's standards) and although she didn't feel it as badly as before she was still touched by its chill. The pale fingers of one hand were looped through the string-handles of several fashionable paper bags and her mind was floating away with the stars.

Without her instruction her feet carried her into a long, narrow and decidedly grimy comic book store on the front. She strolled down the isles musing briefly on why she was there in the first place when she had no real interest in the stores contest. A cover caught her eye through the primary-coloured haze of displays. 'LESBIAN VAMPIRES FROM OUTER SPACE' it screamed at her. She found herself laughing internally as she stopped to flick through the ludicrously titled horror comics.

"I don't think those are you're types of comic, little missy. How about I show you where the girls' ones are?"

"How about… no?" She didn't even look up at the patronizing child that seemed bent on disturbing her peace.

"Chill, I just thought a nice girl like wouldn't like this kinda thing. But hey! If you're into the macabre I recommend you read this" a comic was thrust into her hands "it may well save your life."

She looked down at the title.

"Vampires Everywhere?" She couldn't help herself this time and howled with laughter. Turning to give it back to the boy she noticed he was wearing a bandana, was still in middle school and was as scruffy as the store he worked in. "Are you for real? Fangs anyway but I'm not biting." He seemed almost offended by her laughter, 'the important thing is…' she thought to herself 'is that I think I'm funny.' He regarded her closely for the first time.

"Wait… haven't I seen you hanging around with those biker boys? The suspicious ones?"

"Maybeee…" she drawled showing lots of white teeth "What's it to you, kiddo?"

"I don't trust them. They scream undead to me, if you have any problems with them or notice any… unusual behaviour – call me." The comic was thrust back into her hands "Santa Carla's crawling with vampires, werewolves, hellcats and creatures of the night, me and my brother here" a second grimy child had appeared behind him silently, this one wore dog tags instead of a bandana "are Edgar and Alan Frog – fearless vampire hunters"

Paige cracked up again but tried to hide it under the pretention of a coughing fit. Smiling politely at the boys she accepted the comic, tipped an imaginary hat to them and sauntered out of the shop. "Later Froggies!" She waved, her tone equal parts mocking and laughing. Paul would love this! She didn't take them seriously of course – two 15 year olds, vampire hunters? As if! Besides, she didn't eat veil.

She was unaware of the discussion going on behind her. The two Frog brothers were deep in conversation.

"I don't know. I think she might be one of them."

"If she comes back we'll test her."

"And if she is a sucker?"

"You know the rules."

"No mercy."

"No mercy. Not even the women."

* * *

Paige had been wandering around town for hours now, it was approaching four and she was officially bored. She headed towards the fairground hoping for some distraction or maybe a drink when she stumbled (literally) over a familiar face.

"Nice trip? Visit the falls?"

"Paul! You tripped me!"

"It was all a test young one" he said sagely, stroking and imaginary beard "to check your reflexes and observational skills. You failed."

"Bull, Mr Myagi!"

"Calm now grasshopper. Sky is blue, grass is green."

"I'm never taking you to the cinema again"

"Anyway Pai, whatcha doing in this part of town I thought you were off shopping it up?"

"Meh, I got bored, anyway the clothes stores close at midnight." She accepted his arm as the started down the boardwalk, handing her bags over to him wordlessly. "What are you doing here? I thought there was a gig down at the Blue Iris you couldn't miss?"

"It got cancelled. The bassist started a fight with the landlord."

"Fun. So what we going to do with the rest of the night? Say roller coasters, pleeeease?"

"Nah I have a better plan! Come on short stack. There's a crazy homeless guy by the coconut shy who thinks he's Jesus. You gotta check it out!"

"Oh Paulio! That reminds me, you will not believe this guy I met earlier!"

Paul's ears pricked up as his eyes focused in on her suddenly. "Guy? Huh? Who? A male guy?"

"Chill Goldilocks! He was like fifteen and totally whack-job crazy… and short."

He sighed, visibly relaxing. He knew Paige's opinions on short men and they were not favourable.

"What about this guy then?" He pulled her closer and she gratefully snuggled into his warmth. Not that she'd tell him that – his hair made his head big enough as it was.

"He told me to stay away from you guys because you might just be the undead apparently… Smart kid."

He stopped suddenly and looked at her with intense grey eyes "Paige this could be a serious threat to our security. We've killed men for less…"

"Relax chump!" She smacking him in the arm "He saw the pale skin and dark clothing and mixed it together with a whole load of crazy! No one really believes in vampires! I think he was trying to scare me… or impress me. Creepy. Ooh but looky here! He gave me a present!"

She held up the comic book proudly, one look at the blue demons on the front and Paul was laughing too.

"You're right babe. Totally fruit-loops. I think he liiiiiiiiked you" He teased

"Pauuul! He's fifteen… and male. He'd chat up anything with a pulse that stayed still long enough."

"Wait, what's this on the back?" He gestured to a sticker on the back with a telephone number on it.

"Oh that's the number for their 'Vampires, Werewolves and other misc evil disposal hotline' "

"For real?"

"Uh-huh! How tempting is it to call them – "Help werewolves are stealing my bike!""

Paul dead panned, suprising Paige when he didn't laugh at her joke. He always laughed at her jokes. He was, most of the time, the only one who laughed at her jokes. He placed his hands on her shoulders and bit his lip. " We probably should have told you this earlier... now Paige I don't want you to freak out but werewolves are nothing to joke about. They're a serious threat to a vampire's life. I forget how young you are…"

She looked up at him in real shock – all wide eyes and parted lips "What? You mean they're real?!"

He couldn't help it; it set him off into peals of laughter again.

"You… are… so… gullible!" he choked out

"Oh shut up fat head." She sulked smacking him in the chest and turning her face away with a huff.

"Awww I'm sorry baby-cakes – I'll make it up to you! Wanna ride the deathanator?"

"Really?"

"Sure."

Two hours, three smoothies and twelve rides later they were walking slowly back towards the cave, not bothering with flight when the sand was so soft and the waves so calm. Paul swung their connected hands and grinned at his girlfriend "I meant to tell you earlier babe, we've got to go see Max again tomorrow"

"So soon? I thought we only had to check in every month or so?"

"Apparently he's got some errand we gotta go a-running. But he's working until two so we can totally lie in this time."

"Good to hear."

"Oh and Marko's death day is coming up so we're gonna go out on the lash then and give him the pick of the goodies."

"Damn! I totally forgot! What are you getting him?"

"A half of his fave and some grape-flavoured rollies"

"I remain unsuprised… I think he mentioned a new Frank Miller book he wanted to check out, I'll grab him a copy of that." She frowned internally; there was only one place on this side of Santa Carla that sold that kind of thing and it was run by the crazy crew. The sky was lightening with every minute, a band of red setting fire to the horizon. They'd unconsciously paused to watch it, just metres from the cave entrance. "Do you ever miss it?" she asked, watching him watch the brightening heavens.

"Miss what?"

"The sunlight? …The day?"

He looked at her with surprisingly focused eyes the colour of rain clouds "How could I miss it? I got all the light I need in my life."

She smiled back and lit up a battered roll-up withdrawn from her inner pocket. Taking a deep drag she passed it over to him "Deep man."

"Totally" he agreed. They stood like that, passing the abused smoke between them until the sky was blue and pink and the light­­ began to sting there skin.


	7. Rule 7: Don't believe everything

**Rule 7:**

**Don't Believe Everything You See and Hear**

"Oh! Wait here a minute would you? I just gotta go say hi to my new boyfriend!" Paige grinned wickedly at the two vampires walking with her down the bustling boardwalk. They paused obediently, leaning against a near by wall for maximum cool points as she ran inside a yellow-lit store.

"New boyfriend? Paul did you know about this?"

"Yeah. I've been ditched Marko-polo" he sighed "for a fifteen year old with a bandana. How can a vampire compete with that?"

"What is it with that girl and nut-jobs?"

"I just don't know… wait? What do you mean nut-job's' PLURAL nut jobs?"

"Well Paul old chap. You aren't exactly the dictionary definition of sane now, are ya?"

"Oh, I thought you'd meant she'd found another insanely hot crazy guy to replace me with! This comic-nerd midget barred of course."

"Oi, I like comics!"

"Heeeeere Froggy Froggy Froggy!" Paige sang out as she danced down the aisle "I need you're help with something!"

Like ships from the mist they emerged from the shadows on either side of her, arms folded. "What with? Those vampires shown their true colours yet?" said Frog #1 (she couldn't remember there names) in a deep voice totally unbefitting of a teenager.

"A ghoul ran away with my washing the other day and I wondered if you big strong manly men could help me out? Haha! Kidding! No, I'm looking for the new batman comic, The Dark Knight Returns?"

"Frank Miller? That's a serious book."

They led her over to a seemingly unorganized selection of batman titles, Frog #2 gestured to the dark blue title for her.

"It's my friend's birthday, he'll love it!"

Handing over some money (stolen) and stashing her purchase in the messenger bag slung over her shoulder she thanked the boys who watched her go with accusing eyes.

"What was all that about?" Marko asked.

"I told them I needed help getting my washing back from a ghoul" Paige laughed joyously at Marko's confused face.

"Haha! Bet they loved that, didcha get it?" Paul responded with a nudge.

"Sure did!"

"What are you guys on about?"

"Long story Marky-boy! Fill you in later – we're about to be late!"

They turned a corner into an abandoned space and took flight in one smooth movement.

"Well brother? Did you get any proof?"

"She was a definite negative on the reflection scale, totally transparent." The Frog brothers turned as one to look at small, dusty mirror on the side of a pillar besides which had once stood a sunglasses stand when the store had first opened as a tourist trap in the 70's.

"Time to plan."

* * *

"Well children, you may wonder why I've asked you to come and see me so soon after our last meeting. I assure you it is a matter of the utmost importance or I wouldn't have interrupted your hectic social life!"

They were ranged out in Max's yard on the various odds and ends of garden furniture. David preferred to stand, arms folded against the wall, Dwayne was slouched on wrought-iron bench next to an intrigued Marko, and Paige occupied one of the lawn chairs with Paul sitting cross-legged in front of her. She toyed unconsciously with his honey toned hair as Max spoke, the colour made softer by understated lamps and garden lights. The breeze held some of Octobers chill but not unseasonably so as it brushed against the back of their necks when Max spoke again.

"The thing is boys, is that we've had a little trouble with a rival family moving into our territory." Paige was taken aback when the boys started angrily at these calm, almost jovial, words. They snarled at the night. Max held his hands up to quiet them down and looked at them sternly "I just want you to deliver a message to them – that's all! Play nice! However, if they don't accept our friendly advice…" his eyes glowed, his face darkening into something truly frightening "We'll just have to make them then, wont we?"

The corners of the boys mouths turned up in pleasure at the prospect, there eyes all orange with the lust for destruction. She felt the thrill of her family and couldn't help but to share in it too her eyes alight. She wasn't sure what exactly would happen when this all played out but she knew it would be something to watch.

"You'll find them over by the lake, near the edge of town. Now I'm not an unreasonable man, they have until sun-up tomorrow night to clear town… or they're open season."

They took to the skies almost as soon as the words were spoken; only pausing to assure Max that they wouldn't do anything stupid.

* * *

The journey took even less time than Paige expected and before she knew it they were descending just out of sight of a large bonfire near the shore of a local lagoon. While close to the suburban areas on most of its sides the lake's top edge was flanked by a few square miles of grass land, fields and trees making it almost abandoned at this late hour. A silent command went through the group; follow David's lead, it said, stay back. They walked slowly and deliberately from the trees into view of the fire, around which sat a handful of shadowy figures and, from the bodies strewn carelessly on the floor, their lunch. They all moved as the pack approached, the rival vampires drawing together, one discarding a blood-drained corpse from it's lap as it rose, two more from their mock fighting. The fourth and final member of the gang (why do they always seem to travel in fours? Paige thought) rose from his seat upon a fallen log to stand in front of his companions. Ah, Paige reasoned, the leader.

They stood a metre from each other, David and the strange vampire standing in front of their respective tribes who ranged behind them in a line. Paige took a moment in the silence to regard the competition. The gang was comprised to a set of mousey-blonde twins, both tall and rangy in faded denim jackets; a very young looking golden haired boy with a frighteningly feral look on his face, standing only up to Paige's chest his expression was more animal than human; and their leader, only just taller than Paige had short spiked black hair and wore leather trousers.

"David"

"Nathan"

They'd met before then, Paige realized, schooling her face so as not to reveal her surprise. She could feel Paul's arm, draped possessively over her shoulder, tighten as Nathan's eyes swept across their line up, Dwayne and Marko to one side of David, Paul and Paige to the other. The corner of his lip turned up as his gaze settled on her "Well well David" He sneered "What's this? You've brought a pet with you? Hasn't your mother ever told you not to play with your food?"

Paige blinked slowly her eyes changing in from hazel to crimson. This caused the rival leader to laugh "Well I never, the kitty has claws! Get a load of this, guys, they've only gone and turned a girl! Pretty little thing, I wonder if she'd want to play with some real men?"

She felt Paul growl low in his throat but the words rolled off her like water; working nights in a seedy bar for two years had given her a thicker skin than that.

"Are you quite finished, Nathan, we have business to attend to tonight other than your ego." His tone was as cool the lake's water and held an edge of amusement, of mocking.

"Mm, very well then David, _Boys, _What is it us humble fiends can do for you?"

"Well Nathan, you and your crew can get off our territory before sunrise tomorrow or…" he smirked "You can die."

Paige was starting to notice a pattern in their words, names were obviously powerful, they were said with a hard edge and a lilt of sarcasm.

"Oh I don't know about that… things just began to get interesting! And my guys here need a vacation"

"That was your only warning Nathan. If you're still in town two nights hence then you're dead, simple as that." David smiled benignly and spread his hands in a deceptively open gesture.

The black haired man sneered showing yellowed teeth and motioned to his boys "Guess we'll be on our way then, for now… just one last thing. I think I should formally make an offer to your girly, one she can't refuse." The cocky grin made the groups hackles rise as he oozed over to Paige, invading her personal space callously. He bent his head the half inch to her ear and in a voice designed for hypnotists and dripping in charm whispered "Come with us now… Leave these fools to their petty games and give in to me. I'll put the stars in your veins" His fingertips rested lightly on her waist, they stung her through her jacket. Paul was now a foot or so away with Dwayne's warning hand on his shoulder. Tenseness ran through the group, each member of her family preparing to jump should he go to hurt her. David gave a look that advised restraint, this would be her first test meeting another vampire, she'd have to learn to fight (metaphorically speaking) her own battles.

"Nathan?" she whispered back in a tone that promised the taste of champagne and strawberries "Was that your name, Nathan? I think you should remove your hand from me before I cut it off and feed it to you…"

He started back a little, his face turning from shock to amusement. He growled his delight "I'm going to love breaking your spirit, little one." With that Paul snapped, breaking free of Dwayne's hold and tackling the shorter vampire to the floor. She would later learn that Nathan had a special gift for projecting and had been flooding Paul's mind with graphic images during their entire exchange.

"You're dead!" He spat through fangs as he went to rip his rival's throat out. It all happened in a flash; Paul was dragged off of Nathan by the gangly twins and thrown away. Quickly caught and restrained by Dwayne. David stepped in front of his family, hands raised in a calming manner. Nathan pulled himself angrily to his feet and backed away one hand out restraining the hissing blonde boy, four lines of red crossing his face from where he'd been scratched.

"Until next time" The injured vampire snarled and with that their family disappeared into the night. After being released from Dwayne's hold Paul kicked out at a tree splintering its bark. He swore quietly his shoulders slumping forward and his breathing deepening as he cursing his own lack of restraint and seethed from the other vampire's attempts to stake a claim on what was his.

"Paul." David spoke in a still, authoritative tone and led him away from the fire deeper into the forest. Paige glanced over at the other boys and the three of them started to wordlessly pile the abandoned bodies onto the flames. Marko opened his mouth to speak but Dwayne shook his head. They all knew the berating Paul would get for endangering the group and going against Max's orders and none of them wanted to dwell too much on it. Paige's stomach still rolled from the other vampire's touch, she scrubbed her nails fiercely across her side trying to eradicate the feeling. When that didn't work she unzipped her leather jacket with a sigh and dropped it onto the fire.

They were sitting on the ground watching the flames chew threw the evidence with Dwayne, in a quiet tone, telling the others about Nathan's specialty when it came to image projection and certain vampires special powers in general when the other two returned. David nodded to his clan as they rose and turned to leave the place. Paul said nothing only pausing to drop his jacket around Paige's shoulders as she shivered in the night's air. She smiled at him but he didn't return it, only looking fervently into her eyes, his hand clasped firmly around hers.

The flight back was a short one and the five parted ways when they got back to the cave immediately, the sun burning dangerously into view. His hand still holding Paige's in an iron grip he pulled her into their room too quickly, she let him feeling the tension coming off him in waves under which was a fear so simple it terrified her. As soon as the door was slammed shut he'd enveloped her in a hold strong enough that it would have broken her had she still been mortal. He was chanting something softly under his breath and she had to strain to hear it.

"You're mine" he whispered over and over. "You're mine"

Paige's heart broke. She entwined her fingers in his hair and made him face her with those haunted eyes. "Yes" she told him "I'm yours. But you're mine too. No one can change that."

"The things he showed me…" He turned his face angrily away his mind on a sick loop of high definition images.

"They're not real, Paul." She leant her head against him breathing in the comforting scent of leather and cigarettes. "I'm real and I'm here."


	8. Rule 8: Watch where you're going

**Rule 8:**

**Watch Where You're Going**

Paige saw them first; the four of them strolling down the boardwalk as if they owned the place. They lacked the subtle charm of her boys instead exuding a feeling of pure menace, glaring at anyone who dared come to close, pushing those out of the way who didn't instinctively move. Paige sighed and glanced around for an exit, she knew her orders. Don't approach them, don't speak to them, don't be seen by them. She seethed internally, they were on her land threatening her family and ruining her hunting ground but she wouldn't let her instincts control her. Besides she'd be fool to think she could take on all four of them, they were a good deal older than her and she was still a fledgling after all. One I could take, she thought to herself, maybe even two of the bastards, but all four? Instead she ducked into the nearest store, walking quickly to the back, getting out of view of the street before even checking what place it was. With a groan she realized she was in the mad-brothers comic emporium she seemed to unconsciously end up there a lot. She lurked in the darkest corner of the place under the pretence of admiring the local artist's creations, glad the Frogs seemed absent for the moment. David had given them a day's grace, they'd see off the other family tomorrow night if they still dared to be there (which Paige instinctively knew they would be) this evening was to be spent preparing themselves for the battle, that meant hunting, stress battling and in Paige's case buying a new jacket.

"Avoiding someone?" Paige jumped a clean foot in the air, for a vampire she was inexcusably easy to sneak up on. From his ever dulcet tones she knew it would be Frog brother the first, his voice registered on the Richter scale.

"Um no, just checking out these crazy D.I.Y comics. Gotta love those local artists…"

"Sure. If you're interested in local artists we do actually have an exhibition downstairs. We're always looking for new submissions…"

"Ooh my friend's big into art! D'ya think you'd be interested in his work?"

"Why don't you come down first and check out the sort of stuff we're interested in?"

"Okay then…" Her spidey-sense was tingling but she ignored it, anyway if she was out of sight those big bad rival vamps might not accidently stumble upon her; it's not as if this dweeb, or his suspiciously absent brother, would be any problem for her.

She traipsed after the younger boy; the hush-hush of her converses on the stairs was the only sound apart from her inane nattering, this place gave her the creeps. Santa Carla muted through a heavy door.

"So you're Edward right? Or was it Alan?" She avoided the urge to pull fangs on him - his silence was freaking her out "Don't you guys need a light down here or something? I mean I can see pretty well in the dark but Jeez!"

It was true the basement was pitch black, with no light to reflect into her eyes Paige was effectively rendered as blind as any mortal. "What's going on here guys? It's not nice to play tricks on girls..."

"Don't you mean THE UNDEAD!" The voice came from right behind her startling her, her heart pumping it's borrowed blood faster around her veins as she whirled around the strike the sneaky brat. Then the lights came on. Halogen beams like the sun hit her and she gasped against it as her sensitive eyes automatically closed on the brightness. It was then the set up fell into place. The sound of Paige's screams echoed in the cavernous room but were muffled by the iron door from the outside world, a net soaked in holy water was cast over her causing snowy skin to sizzle like fat in the frying pan.

Edgar and Allen surveyed their captive, they hadn't expected their very first vampire hostage to be a short, pretty blonde girl who looked only years older than themselves. Neither did they expect her to be wearing a 'Frankie Says Relax' T-shirt and pink hi-tops but there was a lot about the undead they didn't understand and each at the back of his own delusional mind had wondered if they were even real. But they were, the proof was right in front of them tied to a desk chair with duct tape and blessed ropes. Her head lolled back paler than even the vampires in the movies they'd seen, tiny white fangs just showing between parted lips the colour of seashells.

"She looks so..."

"Undead brother. Evil. Vampires are deceptive creatures, the innocent look? Just a disguise to help the blood sucking bitch lure in dinner"

Alan nodded at his brother's sage words and grabbed a Polaroid camera from the corner of the room. It was time to test the theory of if Vampire's showed up in photos or not. But first he had to wake up the unconscious vamp. He considered this for a moment before taking a broom from the corner of the room and hesitantly jabbing her with it making sure to keep the maximum distance between himself and the creature.

He was glad Edgar had gone upstairs to get more restraining supplies he was sure the elder boy would mock him for his cowardice. Reduced to poking a restrained vampire with a stick.

"Quit it Goldi' I'm tryna sleep here... " she murmured groggily trying to move away from the wavering prodding device. Alan gritted his teeth and jabbed at her again.

"Wake up demon!"

"Huh! Wha?!" Paige's head shot up with a start as she looked around startled before realization dawned on her. "Oh god... I've been kidnapped by midgets. I'm the worst vampire in the world."

"No you're a fearsome undead creature, it was our _skills _that caught you!"

"Aw you're sweet for saying that but no really, worst vampire ever, right here. I need to work on my awareness."

"Look would you just shut up and hold still so I can take your picture?"

"This isn't gonna kinky is it? Cos I will have you bite your throat out."

The kid blushed angrily levelling the camera at her face.

"Aww sweetie I won't really bite your throat out... if you let me go..."

He clicked the button and with a whirr the automated photo came out. Depositing the broom he grabbed the undeveloped photo from the camera and shook it.

"Well? Did it work? How'd I look?" She leant forward in her chair and the startled teenager obligingly held out the Polaroid for her to see. "Well wouldcha look at that! We do show up in photos! I wonder why that is? Hmm... If you believe your old school theorists it would be because of a lack of silver in the processing – as they believe vampires don't show up in silver mirrors. However if you go for your bible basher's they believe a vampire's image is an affront to God hence the lack of reflection.... Either way I look pretty good for a dead girl"

As she spoke her hand snuck under the ropes binding her fraying the edges with her nails, the first coil slowly slipped off her wrist. She loosened the second and third getting ready to throw off the ropes and run, knocking out the two froggies on the way. Without there tricks and weapons they were no match for her even at half strength.

"You talk to much."

The voice came unexpectedly from behind her where unseen to her Edgar had returned and before her heart had chance to sink he delivered a sharp blow to her head and she was rendered unconscious.

Restraining a vampire was not an easy task so they'd have to keep her weak, she'd proven to be tricky when lucid. Before too long deep cuts ranged over her neck, arms and legs each sluggishly bleeding her life away. Her face they'd left perversely unmarred apart from a few unhealed burn marks from the net. After the arduous task of restraint was complete they stopped to admire their work.

"Why don't we just stake her, again?"

"Because if they know we have her they'll all come try to save her and then we can stake them all"

"Oh. But if we stake her surely they'll come after us anyway"

"This way we get leverage – they surrender or we kill the girl"

The younger Frog couldn't fault his brother's thinking and wearily picked up a pile of fliers from the side. "Well this ought to get their attention anyway." They disappeared out of the door a single sheet from the pile falling to the floor as they left. Paige cracked one eye with her remaining strength to see her own face staring back at her. With a sigh she let unconsciousness take her, one thought repeating itself in her tired

mind, Paul will find me.

"Where is she?" Dawn was breaking outside the cave in which a nest of anxious vampires resided "The sun is up!" Paul paced back and forth across the floor darting looks at the entrance at the slightest sound. Unease washed off him in waves and was making the other vampires uncomfortable.

"Relax buddy I'm sure she's fine, she probably just travelled to far afield and holed up somewhere else for the day." Marko's attempts at justification did little to soothe the disquieted Paul, for a reason he couldn't explain the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and the inside of his skin itched.

"I'm telling you something's not right! What if the Fang Gang got her? What if she's trapped in the sunlight? What if Nathan..."

He was cut off by the icy, if irate, tones of their leader. David made short work of him gesturing sharply at the tunnels.

"Well then Paul we'll find out first thing tomorrow when we destroy them. Now go to sleep, that's an order, I need you strong tomorrow."

He slept alone that night and dreamt of ropes and smoking skin.


	9. Rule 9: Play nicely with other children

**Rule 9:**

**Play Nicely With the Other Children**

There were no dreams for Paige. She awoke to the scent of fresh human blood, the hunger inside her overrode her recent memory and she moved instinctively towards it. The sudden lunge caused two things to happen, the ropes that bound her dug tighter into her skin and the barely-closed cuts criss-crossing her body to reopen. Head falling forward her blonde hair tumbled around her like a halo, it's dyed pink ends matted darker with blood. She remembered marvelling at her perfect skin after the transformation, it was now blistered and cut and stained with her own blood – she could feel her heart stutter against the strain.

"Bro, she doesn't look so good."

"What? It's the undead it'll be fine!"

"Are you sure? What if it like... dies... again? We won't have anything to barter with!"

The fear in the higher-pitched Frog made her stomach growl.

"Blood." Her voice was barely more than a whisper when it tore itself from her throat but it caused the bickering brothers to turn to her. They regarded each other surprised that the emaciated form in front of them was capable of speech. She looked like hell.

"What?"

"Blood. Starve... Death" Paige was pretty sure the words made her throat bleed.

"Shit man! That thing _is _gonna die before we get chance to off the rest of the pack!" Alan looked to Edgar with fear in his muddy brown eyes. His brother stared back with a face of stone.

"Don't trust it, it's demonspawn, how do you know this isn't a trick to regain it's hell powers and kill us all?"

"If we don't give it blood then it'll die too soon and instead of a gang of angry vampires at our mercy we get a gang of angry vampires REIGNING BLOODY VENGANCE ON US!"

"Don't get angry with me! It was your idea we drain it!"

"How was I supposed to know it was fatal to them? We have to do something!"

"But what?"

"I dunno give it blood maybe?"

"I'm not opening a vein"

"Me neither!"

"It was your idea!"

"Well what should we do?"

A brief pause followed this panic stricken exchange, Paige listened her body tensed in anticipation their horror only fuelled her hunger. Seconds felt like hours until...

"Steak. There's an uncooked steak in the fridge upstairs. S'dripping with blood."

"Doesn't it need huma-"

"Steak. If it doesn't work out we'll rethink. I'll go get it."

"Fine." Alan Frog crossed his arms defiantly and watched his brother leave the room, his gaze turned back to demonic looking creature across from him. Her eyes were like fire as she stared silently at him. He felt his eye start to twitch as sweat trickled down the back of his neck. She didn't blink, not once in 30 seconds. His foot started tapping as the sweat broke out on his upper lip and forehead as well. 45 seconds, a minute of her staring silently at him with those unreadable orange eyes. He breathed harder as the room started to close around him leaning unconsciously towards the restrained creature.

"EDGAR WAIT UP! I'LL COME WITH YOU!"

"The time is almost upon us."

No one wanted to mention the obvious, the tension in the air was almost palpable and Paul was pacing again. Paige hadn't returned and none of the blood line could feel her presence in the surrounding area. Dwayne and Marko unconsciously flicked their eyes to their anxious brother causing David to handle the hesitation with his usual poise.

"Paul, I need a word before we leave. Boys, if you'd excuse us." Grabbing Paul by the lapel of his jacket with one leather gloved hand David pulled the brooding blonde deeper into the cave.

"Look I-" He was cut off before he had barely edged two words out by the blizzard that was the gang leader's voice.

"Paul I need you focused. All we know is that Paige is not here now. Until she comes back or we find out what happened to her the best thing to do is deal with the threat we can. We are being challenged by a very serious enemy, we eliminate them and _then _we worry about Paige."

"Would you say that is it was Dwayne missing? Or Marko?"

"Yes." The answer was brutal in it's honesty and Paul scoffed at it. "If it was any of us I'd expect the pack to eliminate the threat first, we ensure the survival of the many and then we seek vengeance for our brother."

"But-"

"Have you ever thought that she's left us of her own accord, Paul? Maybe the idea of fighting off our rivals was too much for her and she left." Paul's heart twisted painfully behind his ribs and he growled at the one he normally reserved nothing but respect for.

"You know that's not true David! She'd never abandon us, she's pack!"

David considered and nodded carefully.

"I believe so too. The sooner we deal with the Fang Gang the sooner we can locate her."

"Your word we find her after this? Whatever it takes?"

"My word."

It was like feeding a tiger tofu. If she had been capable of lucid thought Paige was sure to have found the situation funny. Two middle school freaks wearing daddy's army fatigues were feeding her steak as she sat duct-taped to a chair in their basement. Alan held the steak above her mouth, his eye still twitching slightly, twisting it so that the blood could run down into her tortured throat. Edgar stood behind her and a little to the left, Paige judged from his laboured breathing, he had a large blade held against her neck in case she miraculously got loose.

The blood tasted like soya milk to a dairy farmer. However it did a little to quench her blistering hunger, even if the cuts didn't heal seamlessly at least they scabbed over again and thought began to return to her. She groaned as the last drops and the kitchen knife removed letting her head slump forward in exhaustion.

"It still looks pretty hit and miss"

"We need more steak."

They arrived at the rival vamp's camp faster than they would have expected. Showing none of the restraint of the last visit they descended from the trees into the enemies camp, Nathan stood with his followers hands raised in a peacefully gesture as the boys went to dismember them.

"We told you to _leave!_"

"David, wait, let's do this properly."

Paul snarled as they crowded together facing the enemy, Nathan's eyes travelled the group like lightning before he struck out at them verbally.

"Where's your little pet then? Too scared to take on the big boys or were you afraid she'd join us if you let her off her leash?"

The fire behind them roared higher in time with the twitching anticipation in Paul's muscles. He'd enjoy killing Nathan more than any other creature on the planet. He'd make it hurt until he screamed for mercy, He'd... his thoughts were cut off by David's voice.

"I didn't think we'd need the whole pack to take on your mangy group – her thirst for destruction would leave no fun for the rest of us." He shook his head in mock sadness "Fourapiece seemed fair. Even then I think we're being too hard on you, Nathan. Perhaps I should send a few more home to even it out."

"There's no need." A peculiar smile lit the dark haired vampire's face, hard yellow eyes flashing in the firelight. "We just stayed to say goodbye. We'll be off now. Terrance, Karl, Felix... we're leaving."

The rival gang did a poor job of hiding their shock, obviously taken aback by their leader's request they followed him anyway. As they ascended into the night sky Nathan called back.

"Don't worry Boys; I'm sure I'll see _one_ or another of you before too long."


	10. Rule 10: Think Happy Thoughts

**Rule 10:**

**Think Happy Thoughts**

They didn't return immediately to the cave after the confrontation instead splitting up to search for their elusive friend. David took the coastline, Dwayne the residential areas and Marko followed Paul as he trailed along the boardwalk itself. He'd tear Santa Carla apart with his bare hands if it meant finding her. He stretched his mind as far it would go desperately searching for the telltale pull that meant she was in the area. Every so often the slightest flicker of consciousness stopped him as he tried to locate his missing lover but it was in vain, he couldn't get a solid grip on her.

The frustration rippling through him was uncontrollable and with a noise not unlike a wounded animal he kicked out at a nearby van. The dent looked like it was made from a motorcycle ploughing into it rather than a foot and the alarm wailed. Seeing the damage his friend had caused Marko hastily hustled the other boy away from the roadside and into the fairground.

"What do you think you're playing at Paul? Powers in full view of everyone and anyone? Not cool bro!"

"Shut up Marko."

"Do you think Paige would want you to fuck up the life she's built with us? If you get us rumbled we're all dead!"

Hearing the truth in his friend's words and sensing his brother's own concern Paul let out a shuddering sigh. Slamming his hands into a wall (but with mortal strength this time) he leant there staring at the missing person flyers blankly.

"Sorry buddy, It's just..." His words cut out on him as he realised what he was looking at.

"Just what?" Marko asked confused by his friend's sudden silence and blank face "Paul?"

"Sons of bitches!" He roared tearing a poster down from the board and thrusting it at Marko before turning and surveying the area, how could he have been so stupid? He was so busy searching for her mentally he hadn't noticed the dozens of posters papering the area with her face on them.

"Aw shit man, we better find the others."

It was strange the things you thought about on the brink of death. Paige's mind had gone into self preservation mode from the pain and was currently losing her in memories.

She stood against the cave wall silently; she was the last one back except for David who'd decided to stay out late by himself. The three arguing teenagers that occupied the room hadn't noticed her yet – they were too involved with the battered TV in the corner of the room. The bright colours of the screen reflected on their faces as they argued.

"No way! I don't want to be Theodore!"

"Tough luck Marko Polo you're whiny enough."

"And you eat enough."

"Shut it Simon."

"Who says I'm Simon?"

"I say your Simon! You like... read and stuff and as I'm the coolest I get to be Alvin so I decide. Ha."

"I WANT TO BE ALVIN!"

"Silence Theodore, grown ups talking."

"It's not fair!"

Marko took this with his normal poise and grace. He tackled Paul and knocked him clean off the sofa, the two wrestling on the ground as Dwayne watched... and laughed.

"I'm older! And besides would Theodore do this!" He went to throw a punch at the taller boy but his hand was caught and twisted as Paul leapt up to reclaim his place on the couch. He stuck one booted foot on top of Marko's head effectively pinning him to the floor.

"Stay down bitch. Stay down."

A noise of frustration followed and some half-hearted struggle before he sighed and gave up.

"Fine, I give can I sit down yet."

"Since you asked so nicely yes-"

Pauls magnanimous victory was cut off when Paige vaulted over the back of the sofa and took her place in the middle.

"Sorry Marko, my seat!"

"Again I say, NO FAIR!"

The other two regarded her suspiciously; Dwayne had changed the channel like lightening when they'd heard her move and an old horror movie now filled the screen.

"Paaaaaaaigey... How much of that did you hear?"

"Oh just that last bit I think..." She smiled as the trio let out a collective sigh of relief "Alvin. I didn't know you guys were so into the Chipmunks..."

"Get her!"

Laughing raucously as she was chased out of the living room...

"Why is she laughing brother?"

"I don't know but it's creepy. Sharpen the stakes Alan, it's nearly killing time."

She had been caught in the kitchen and unceremoniously carried back and dumped on the sofa, with Marko sitting on her feet and Paul holding her arms she was effectively trapped.

"Now Paige" Dwayne spoke in his usual solemn tones "If you tell anyone about this you know what will happen to you."

"What?"

"One day you'll just... disappear."

"Really?"

"Yup, ya sure will babe. No one will know what happened to you you'll just vanish from the cave." Paul grinned wickedly at her as something occurred to him. "But to even the scores in the mean time I think it's only fair we let the boys in on your little cartoon habit..."

"Don't you dare Goldilocks..."

"PAIGE IS TRULY OUTRAGOUS! TRULY TRULY TRULY OUTRAAAAAAAAAAAAGOUS!" He started singing out of tune "PAAAAIGE HER MUSIC'S CONTAGIOUS OUTRAGEOUS!"

"Dude what is that?"

"Paige's version of her own very favourite kids cartoon – Jem and the Holograms! It's some lame girly thing for girls. Don't deny babe I've found you in here before after sun up singing along... hehe it's also totally where she stole her hair from!"

"OKAY SHUT UP! I promise I won't tell anyone about your love of the Chipmunks if you swear NEVER to bring this up again!"

"It's a deal, we have no need to have you kidnapped then."

"What's she... I mean _it_ doing now Alan?" Edgar had looked up from filling the water guns to see pink tears dropping from their captives eyes. It got harder to think of Paige as a bloodsucking demon when she was crying – she looked like so harmless, like the slightly punk rock girl next door.

"But I didn't tell anyone..." she whispered as the laughing faces of her family disappeared from behind her eyelids.

"First it's laughing now it's crying... I don't like this Edgar. I don't like this at all."

They didn't have too long to dwell on this as a window in the building they had transferred her to broke.

"Let's do this!"

"What does it say?"

"MISSING

Sam Pyre

Anyone interested in seeing her again alive should come to storage building 8 on the seafront an hour before dawn. Without her family's presence she's sure to be dead before the night's out."

"Why call her Sam_? _I don't get it."

"What does it sound like, Marko? _ Sam-pyre_"

"Oh."

"This is it guys."

"It could be a trap..."

"Even if it is we will not risk the life a family member."

"Let's do this!"

The blood loss must be affecting my senses, Paige thought to herself as she listened to the battle behind her blind to its action, I can't feel their presence but I can hear them.

There was a brief thud followed by three angry shrieks, furniture clattered and broke splinters spraying over her followed by a warm spattering of blood as another dull thud could be heard. The shrieks turned to screams of heart wrenching pain and the sizzle of burning flesh. Then silence apart from ragged breathing. Paige held her breath as footsteps sounded behind her she couldn't tell how many pairs of feet but prayed it was four, her boys come to save her. She looked up as someone touched her shoulder eyes widened in the anticipation of the man she'd been dreaming of all day.

Instead of grey-blue the eyes she met were muddy and the mane of golden hair was replaced by scraggly brown locks captive behind a red bandana. She couldn't bare the look of triumph on their faces.

"It wasn't them..."

"Really fiend? One dark haired one and three blondeish ones? We OWNED their asses!"

"Well our motion activated stake wall and the trough of holy water under the windows owned their asses but we totally wiped out the tall one with our death guns!"

"Yeah Bro. Sure did – he screamed like a girl as his face melted off."

The grinned and hi-fived at the carnage they had caused, both brothers were covered in blood that seemed to sparkle almost in the light.

"S'agood thing all four came at once though"

"Yeah, It'd take us ages to set up those traps again. Maybe next time we could build a second wall with the wheels from..."

Paige closed her eyes and ears against their chatter. Her hope was gone. Her soul mate, her family everything was gone and she didn't have enough blood in her veins to kick a football never mind escape and take retribution. What would be the point of vengeance anyway... it wouldn't bring them back. They were gone and she wished she was too.

"Make it fast." She begged, tears spilling silently down her face.


	11. Rule 11: Never Lose Hope

**Rule 11:**

**Never Lose Hope**

"Touch her and you die"

The knife just digging into the flesh of Paige's neck faltered as the words came harsh and ragged in the air forcing the action to become a gruesome tableau. Motionless in terror the middle school slayers stared at the imposing figure.

Tall and feral, surrounded by the corpses of dead vampires he stood like a dream in the middle. Paige's eyes, already closed, tightened at the sound of his voice achingly familiar and yet impossible at the same time. He was every inch an avenging angel haloed with golden hair and backlit by the moon through a broken window.

He was followed into the room by three more figures each as menacing as the next, angled features painted monochrome by the shadows apart from the glowing red eyes. They stalked in regarding the off guard hunters with disgust, the shortest of the trio broke away from the group to regard the staked corpse of a vampire, most of the skin was melted away but the face was almost untouched.

"As you thought David, Nathan and his boys did pay the kids a visit before leaving town... permanently. They must have seen the posters too. Shame they didn't check the place out before they attacked."

David nodded to Marko folding his arms and regarding the picture before him. The older Frog was smarter than his brother and had the knife at Paige's throat in a firmer grasp. He attempted to stare them out, his eyes watered.

"Surrender demons or we kill the girl!"

Paul scoffed, his eyes burned with an intensity the teenagers had never seen before leaving them in no doubt as to what the devil really looked like.

"Surrender mortals or we kill you." He mocked them his eyes never leaving those of the catalyst of the situation. She sat in the eye of the storm as emotions raged around her, all she could do was stare – her boys, her family, her soul mate alive and before her like she could never have dared to dream. Hope welled inside her unstoppably, she would never doubt them again.

Realizing there time for action was short and heavily under-armed the Frog brothers set Plan B into action.

"The eagle is leaving the bat coop, copy?"

"Copy!"

The younger frog threw a smoke bomb at the snarling vamps as the elder threw Paige forward, knife slicing through the tender skin of her neck in his haste. The two ran - followed by a roaring sound they hoped never to hear again. They ran until there feet bled, jacking their parents van (which they had appropriately converted to a vampire fortress on wheels) and driving till Santa Carla lay behind them in the dust. Knowing they'd live everyday in concealed fear of the vengeful creatures they left behind.

"Luna Falls huh? Sounds nice."

"Paige!" Paul darted forward, catching his mate before the chair hit the ground. Tearing the ropes off her with his bare hands ignoring the blisters that threatened to form at the holy-water soaked hemp and lifting her into his arms.

"Paul careful!" David was closer to the action than his brother and saw the final blow. He motioned the other two boys to scout the area for any forgotten Frogs as he watched his family falling apart in slow motion.

Eye's clouding in incomprehension Paul stared down at the unconscious girl, suddenly aware of how small and fragile she seemed in his arms. She was paler than usual underneath the dried blood and covered in barely scabbed lacerations, and there at her throat an ugly cut freshly open and haemorrhaging blood she could ill-afford to lose. He could feel her heartbeat like a dying butterfly against his hands so faint he feared he dreamt it.

David crashed to his knees beside his brothers and sliced into his own wrist without hesitation the blood pouring over her wounded throat and then against ivory lips.

"Hold her still Paul."

He tensed automatically as two figures emerged from the smoke coughing hard, red patches already appearing on faces covered in frustration and rage.

"They put some shit in that thing, we lost them and it's starting to brighten up out there. How's she… uh!"

Hitting the wall so hard the rafters shook Marko cursed loudly at the question knowing the answer - not good. Both Paul and David were bent over her and blood was flowing from her throat almost faster than it could pass her lips. The moments seemed to stretch into eternities before the ugly gash started to close and David finally pulled away, Paul pulling her tighter against him as they rose to there feet.

"She's pretty damaged boys, I won't lie to you. But she'll make it. That is if we get her home before sun up. Let's go." They filed out of the warehouse and took to the skies but not before the gang leader could place a hand on the two other vampires shoulders. "Don't beat yourselves up over losing those two- " the words caught in his throat behind barely contained rage "They made sure to cover there tracks and getting Paige home is the most important thing. There will be other nights to get the bloody vengeance we deserve."

Days passed in fearful anticipation, the boys taking turns at playing nurse and vengeance scout. Piling up fresh meat for the drained girl when they weren't looking for the cause of there troubles - but the brothers had vanished into thin air apparently. It was only Paul who didn't join the hunting parties. He never left his girlfriend's side, it was the most serious they'd ever seen him convinced he wouldn't smile until she was well again.

It was two days before her neck had sealed up wholly, another two before she looked like herself again and it wasn't until the fifth day that she gained complete lucidity.

"Oh god - please tell me you got the license?"

Paul started from his vigil hunched beside her bed so fast his spine made a tremendous cracking sound. Her voice was raspy but hers.

"Paige- I-" He paused mouth working silently for a moment as his tongue tried to catch up with his whirling thoughts "The license of what?"

"The truck… that hit me."

He laughed so suddenly it took a moment to realize it was him.

"I missed you so much, I thought… you…"

She reached out a hand and brushed it gently across his stubbled cheek; taking in his dishevelled appearance, like he hadn't slept in a week - all bruised eyes and matted hair.

"You look terrible."

"You can talk."

"I can actually-" She paused as a her throat decided to punctuate her words with a harsh cough "Uh kinda I actuall-"

Her words were cut off by his mouth on hers, a week of desperation and fear poured into that one act of intimacy. Words were unnecessary between them in that moment as each fell into the others soul, torn apart for so long but finally whole again. They clung to each other like shipwrecked sailors in a storm, their last life line in this world. A maelstrom of emotions rendering speech meaningless to them. It lasted for a perfect moment before inevitably ending and although words may have been obsolete afterwards he couldn't help but add...

"Ever do that again I'm killing you myself."

"Gottit" She sighed weakly, for a different reason than her injuries this time "-and Goldilocks? Thanks for saving my ass, I love you."

"Love you too babe."

"Guys! I'm perfectly okay! Pleeease can I come with you?"

Paige pouted up from her seat on the couch wrapped in a moth eaten comforter and pinned under the glares of four young vampires. She widened her eyes and held her hands up in front of her fingers locked together. Shamelessly pulling the puppy dog eyes routine for all it was worth. "Oh please oh please? I'll do corpse clean up for a month!"

"I dunno…" Marko waved his hand in airy superiority "You might get kidnapped by midgets again."

"But- but- but… I'm going crazy sitting here all day! It's been a whole two weeks since it even happened! I missed your death day and everything!"

"Marko's right." Dwayne nodded sagely, agreeing with his shorter brother. "I don't know if we can risk you leaving yet… you're not psychologically ready to face the outside world."

"Bullshit mate! I'm totally ready! Look at this face? It's a pretty freaking ready face."

"Well if it was up to Paul you'd never leave the cave again."

"Damn straight woman."

"Boys stop teasing the invalid. I'm sure we've all done things in the past that can be considered as… how shall we put this… pure blind stupidity." David gave Paige a look that took her straight back to being told off in elementary school for pushing Bobby Ridgeway down the stairs ('Hey! We were only three steps up!') for calling her stinky. "We can't hold this against her forever. Also we have to check in with Max, he's been worried about you." He gestured to the cave entrance. "Ladies first."

The other three growled over their leaders pronouncement and their smirking gang mate who immediately discarded the comforter, vaulted over edge of the couch and practically danced out ahead of them faintly singing.

"Well I guess there was that time I got banged up in jail… and Dwayne remember on your first death-day celebration you got locked in that outside courtyard thing at that club with the barred roof at sun up? Damn if we didn't have the tip off from those girls you would have been toast…"

"Indeed, and who can forget Paul getting busted by those reality TV guys who were trying to prove vampirism back in '83, that was harrrrsh."

"Still though… at least we never got sliced and diced by teenagers."

"Yeah that makes us soooo much cooler, don't you think Paul? Paul?"

The two looked around to find they were alone in the cave

"They left without us again!"

"Probably off canoodling."

"Dude. Did you just use the word canoodling?"

"Bite me. Hey guys wait up!"

-fin?-

A/N: Yes this took forever! I'm so sorry! I just couldn't work out whether to kill the froggies or not : ( sad times - I wussed out in the end and had them get away! Sorry the ending is so lame - I just needed it to be done and while I'm not 100% satisfied I think It'll do for now!

Paige and the boys have become so much a part of my life since writing this I can't really believe it and I truly enjoyed creating this whole story from the start! (God I found myself funny when I re-read this fic though! I gotta be damaged!)

I only hope you liked reading it half as much as I did writing it!

(If you did I'd love it if you dropped me a review - they make this author happier than a crack addicted crack addict snorting crack in a crack den! Review 3 ) I left it open for more adventures if you want them, and not if you don't. Depends if I get my writing mojo back I guess - I lost it a bit recently ^^; Well! It's been crazy fun babes ;-) Laters!


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